AP launches Rs 15,000 aid scheme for 2.9 lakh Auto drivers

The Andhra Pradesh government is set to roll out the ‘Auto Driverla Sevalo’ scheme on Saturday, providing Rs 15,000 annually to more than 2.9 lakh auto and cab drivers across the state, officials said on Friday. The launch will take place in Vijayawada Central constituency. The programme aims to financially support drivers of autorickshaws, motor cabs, and maxi cabs. Officials noted that the NDA coalition government has expanded both the financial assistance and the number of beneficiaries to ensure no eligible driver is left out. A total of Rs 436 crore has been allocated, with benefits to be directly transferred into the drivers’ accounts.

Compared with the previous YSRCP government, officials said that it had provided only Rs 10,000 annually to over 2.6 lakh beneficiaries, spending around Rs 261 crore. The current government has expanded coverage and increased financial aid by 50 per cent, they added. Under the scheme, beneficiaries include over 2.2 lakh auto drivers, nearly 39,000 three-wheeler passenger vehicle drivers, around 20,000 motor cab drivers, and 6,400 maxi cab drivers, with Visakhapatnam district alone accounting for nearly 23,000 recipients.

Though not part of the NDA alliance manifesto, officials said the scheme was introduced to protect drivers from the impact of the recently launched ‘Stree Shakti’ scheme, which provides free bus travel for women across the state. Other measures for drivers include reducing green tax on old vehicles from Rs 20,000 to Rs 3,000 and spending Rs 1,000 crore on road repairs, significantly easing their financial burden. Authorities have been instructed to ensure that all eligible drivers receive the benefit , and a grievance redressal system, including a WhatsApp-based mechanism, has been set up for those inadvertently left out of the list.